NES: Delusions of Grandeur

[Insane_Panda]

The British Empire 1898
RULE BRITIANIA

King Frederick William V of Brandenburg

A Factual Report on the standings of the British Army - Commissioned by the War Department, under the auspices of Field Marshall Wolseley, CinC of the British Army

Total "ground forces" available for mobilization = approx 1,200,000 men

British Regulars & Reserves:344,000 men
Militia, Conscripts & Yeomanry:340,000 men
British Empire & Commonwelth:446,000 men

British Regulars and Reserves:344,000 men

Infantry:
148 Line Inf. Battalions 2 per Regiment
5 Regiments Guards(10 Btns):Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Welsh, Irish
Rifle Brigade(Lt.Inf.Regt.of 4 Btns):
Kings Rifle Corps (Lt.Inf.Regt.of 4 Btns):
Battalion = 1250 , Regiment = 2500, Brigade = 5000, Division = 15,000 men

Cavalry:
3 Household Guard Regiments
28 Regiments(4 Heavy, 6 medium, 12 light and 6 Lancers
Total 124 Squadrons (Regiments comprised 4 squadrons with 720 men per regiment)

Royal Artillery:
Artillery Regiment = 2 Btns of 12 Guns each. Btn = 2 Btry of 6 guns each. Btry = 6 guns
31 Horse Artillery Battries:
103 Field Artilley Batteries:
110 Garrison Batteries:
10 Mountain Batteries

Engineers:9,450 men
63 Companies (Bridging,Telegraph,Balloon,Railway, and Mining)

Support Arms:
Commissariat and Transport Corps
Army Hospital Corps
Army Ordnance Corps
Corps of Military Mounted Police
Corps of Army Schoolmasters
Army Chaplain's Department
Army Pay Department
Army Veterinary Department
Army Nursing Service

Total Regulars:344,000 men

Regulars deployed Home Countries:221,000
Regulars deployed Overseas:99,000

THE HOME COUNTRIES

London:15,000
5 Regt.Foot Guards(10 Btns):12,500 men
3 Regt.Horse Guards:2,160 men
3 Btry Horse Artilley:18 guns
10 Btn F.A.:120 guns
10 M.G.Co.:60 guns
2 Co.Military Police:340 men

England and Wales:157,000 men
60 Btns Inf:75,000 men
60 Btns Reserves:75,000 men
5 Regts Cav:3600 men
5 H.A.Btry:30 guns
30 Btns F.A.:360 guns
120 M.G Co.:720 guns
15 Co.Enrgs:2200 men
8 Co.Support Troops:1200 men

Scotland:27,000 men
10 Inf Btns :12,500 men
10 Btns Reserves:12,500 men
2 Regts Cav:1440 men
2 Co. Engrs:300 men
20 M.G.Co.:120 Guns
4 Btns F.A.:48 Guns
2 Support Co.260 men

Ireland:22,000 men
8 Btns Inf::10,000 men
8 Btns Reserves:10,000 men
2 Regts Cav:1440 men
2 Co.Engrs:300 men
16 M.G.Co.:96 Guns
4 Btns F.A.:48 Guns
2 Support Co:260 men

BRITISH REGULARS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS

India:78,000 men
52 Btns Inf:65,000 men
13 Regts Cav:9,360 men
13 Btns F.A.:156 guns
13 H.A. Btry:78 guns
52 M.G.Co's:312 guns
13 Co.Engrs:1950 men
13 Support Co.s:1690 men

Malta/Gibralter:6,000 men
4 Inf. Btns:5000 men
1 Cav Regt:720 men
1 H.A.Btry:6 Guns
1 Btn F.A.:12 Guns
4 M.G.Co.:24 Guns
1 Engr Co.:150 men
Support Co.:130 men

South Africa:6,000 men
Royal Rifle Corps(4 Btns):5000 men
1 Cav Regt:720 men
1 H.A.Btry:6 Guns
1 Btn Mountain Guns:30 Guns
4 M.G.Co.:24 Guns
1 Co Engrs:150 men
Support Co.130 Men

Hong Kong:6,000 men
4 Inf. Btns:5000 men
1 Cav Regt:720 men
1 H.A.Btry:6 Guns
1 Btn F.A.:12 Guns
4 M.G.Co.:24 Guns
1 Engr Co.:150 men
Support Co.:130 men

China Station(Marines):3,000 men
Peking Legation Consulary Gds:100 men
Tientsin:900 men
Wei Hai Wei:900 men
Liukung Island:900 men
3 M.G.Co.:18 guns
3 Btns F.A.:36 guns
Harbor Patrol:20 Patrol Boats/200 Sailors

Royal Artillery Fortress Batteries:650 guns
Malta 150 Guns
Gibralter 150 Guns
Suez Canal 100 Guns
Singapore 150 guns
Hong Kong 100 guns

Territorial Army(Militia,Yeomanry,& Volunteers)::340,000 men
175 Btns Volunteer Infantry:218,750 men
97 Btns Militia and Yeomanry:121,250 men
(Includes 4 Yeomanary Cavalry Divisions)
68 Volunteer Royal Garrison Artillery Regts:1632 Guns
Plus 22 Volunteer Engineer Regts.
[Available when war declared & require 6 months to arm and train]

TROOPS OF THE EMPIRE

India/Ceylon:198,000 men
93 Regular Inf.Btns:116,250 men
40 Cav.Regts:28,800 men
22 Companies Sappers:2950 men
23 Btns F.A.:276 guns
40 Btry H.A.:240 guns
93 M.G.Co.;558 guns
16 Btns Indian Reserves:20,000
24 Btns Indian Militia:30,000

Canada:140,000 men
Royal Canadian Regt(4 Btns):5,000 men
100 Btns Canadian Militia:125,000 men
1 Btn Canadian Royal Arty:12 Guns
20 Btns Militia Arty.:240 guns
8 Cavalry Regiments:5760 men
8 H.A.Btry:48 guns
104 M.G.Co.:624 guns
20 Co.Engrs:3000 men
RCMP Btn:1240 men

Australia:36,000 men
4 Btns Regulars:5,000 men
20 Btns Territorial Reserves:25,000 men
5 Cavalry Regts:3,600 men
6 Btns F.A.:72 guns
5 H.A. Btry:30 guns
6 Engr Co.:600 men
24 M.G.Co.:144 guns
12 Co.Tasmanian Militia:1800 men

New Zealand:25,000 men
4 Btns Regulars:5,000 men
12 Btns Territorial Reserves:15,000 men
4 Cav.Regt:2,880 men
4 Btn F.A.:48 guns
4 H.A.Btry:24 guns
4 Engr Co.:600 men
16 M.G.Co.:96 Guns
10 Co.Militia:1520 men

South Africa:10,000 men
2 Cape Colony Inf.Regts(4 Bns):5000 men
S.A.Cav.Regt.720 men
1 Btn F.A.:12 guns
2 H.A.Btry:12 guns
2 Btns Natal Constablary:2500 men
Natal Cav.Regt.720 men
6 M.G.Co.:36 Guns
1 Co.Engrs:150 men
6 Co.Security/Border Police:910 men

West Africa:15,000 men
British Nigeria
3 Regts Kings African Rifles:7500 men
3 Militia Btns:3750 men
9 Cav Sqdrns:1620 men
3 Co. Engrs:450 men
3 Btns F.A.:36 guns
3 H.A.Btry:18 guns
6 M.G.Co.:36 guns
12 Co.Border Police:1680

Hong Kong Defense Forces:12,000 men
4 Btns Hong Kong Nat'l Militia:5000 men
4 Btns "Hong Kong Provisional"(Aus/N.Z./Ind/Gurka)Brigade:5000 men
2 Btns F.A.:24 guns
8 M.G.Co.:48 guns
1 Cav Regt:720 men
1 H.A.Btry:6 guns
2 Engr Co.300 men
1 Support Co.150 men
Hong Kong Harbor Patrol:830 Sailors/83 Patrol Boats

Carribean Islands Militia:3600 men
JAMACIA/BAHAMA/BERMUDA/TRINADAD/TOBAGO/GRENADA/ST.KITTS/ANTIGUA
24 Co.Volunteers

Latin America Militia:900 men
BR.GUIANA/FALKLANDS/BR.HONDORUS
6 Co. Militia

Mediterranean Militia:2800 men
GIBRALTER/MALTA/CYPRUS
18 Co Volunteers

Pacific Islands Militia:900 men
FIJI/PAPUA/SOLOMONS
6 Co.Militia

Indian Ocean Islands Militia:900 men
SEYCHELLES/MAURITIUS
6 Co Militia

THE ROYAL NAVY:
(Each tactical force includes transports supply and other misc.support ships)

Atlantic Fleet: at Scapa Flow and Plymouth
25 Battleships
50 Cruisers
50 Destroyers

Medeiterranian Fleet: at Gibraltar
10 Battleships
20 Cruisers
20 Destroyers

South African Squadron:at Capetown
5 Battleships
10 Cruisers
10 Destroyers

Indian Ocean Squadron:at Ceylon
10 Battleships
6 Cruisers
6 Destroyers

Pacific Squadron: at New Guinea
5 Battleships
4 Cruisers
4 Destroyers

Ship Construction:
Battleships Launch Date:

1899:5
1901:6
1902:3
1903:6
1904:2
1905:2
1906:2​

 

[Insane_Panda]

A stat update- due to finding of more realistic british army numbers.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Age: Late Industrial
Army: Medium [Does not represent ALL colonial levies. Well-trained]
Navy: Huge [Modern, well-trained.]
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy, Ruled by King William V of The House of Brandenburg (Wilhelm II)
Religion: Anglican Christianity
Economy: Largely Urban, Industrial, and Merchantile.

 

[North King]

The battleship MNS Duluth steamed rapidly across Lake St. Clair. The small lake was the stepping stone between Lake Huron and Detroit, Michigan, in the Empire of the United States. The small lake was almost clean and pure, but for a few noxious chemicals from a few American factories that were upstream. Well, had been. The sixteen inch guns of the Duluth had had something to say to that.

That AND a new conscript corps that had crossed from Sarnia into Port Huron and seized the American fort before anyone could stop them. The war had just been too easy, it seemed to Marc Foix. So far, at least. Even as they had been departing from Mackinac Island, they had been hearing fantastic reports over the telegraphs. The Americans had been prepared, but it was a job to fight a two front war, and Traverse City was already under siege. One of the main ports on Lake Michigan, and the American naval squadron there had been sunk. Cadillac had been seized by the 1st Corps, and with more battleships shelling Chicago, it seemed like the war was easy as cake.

He continued his tedious job of washing the decks. Not like they really needed it, but the petty officers liked giving people tasks for no reason, it seemed.

Just as the southern shore of Lake St. Clair came into view, the klaxons hooted, announcing a call to battle stations. He ran to the massive turret that he fought at. Well, not quite the most massive. He fought at one of the end on turrets that fired at targets directly ahead, when a broadside didn’t work.

Slipping slightly on the freshly mopped deck, stumbling, he came into the turret just after the rest of the crew that worked there.

“What is it, Lannes?” he asked the commander of the turret. Lannes shook his head.

“I don’t know. But we’re sure to find out. It may take a little while.”

One of the other crew members laughed. “Not that long. Look through the gunnery slit.”

Peering through the small hole, Marc saw a small ironclad chugging along, proudly waving the American flag.

“They’re brave,” Marc said, half in amusement, half admiration.

“So they are. And dead,” Lannes said. The other men laughed.

“Smith, get a shell loaded. I’ll be damned if Bazaine’s turret is going to hit them before we do.”

Edwin Smith looked confused. “We weren’t ordered to fire yet, sir.”

“Do you think that prevents us from loading a shell?” Lannes asked icily. The loader flushed and loaded the shell quickly, ramming the breach home.

“Get a good aim on it. I want to see if we can hit it on our first try,” Lannes said. The men set to work. Marc pulled out the newfangled chart that was supposed to give nearly perfect range ever time. Calling out a few angle measures, another crewman set the hydraulics in motion, and the turret ground into position.

“Now we wait,” Marc said.

A few seconds later, a signal came from the command room to open fire. Readjusting the aim, they watched as a shell splashed just in back of the little ironclad.

“Ha!” Lannes said. “Bazaine can’t aim!” Marc smiled slightly as he braced himself.

The turret roared, and a shell went flying. To their credit, none of the crew fell over.

“Smith! Another shell!” Lannes barked. Marc again pulled the table up to get ready to aim, but even as he did this, they watched their shell plunge into the tiny ironclad, setting it off like a firecracker in the first hit.

“Good work, men,” Lannes called. “But there might be more where those came fro–”

he was cut off as a giant roar rocked the ship. “What the–” Marc muttered.

“I think the main guns were firing,” Edwin said uneasily.

It would make sense. Detroit was just ahead, and the guns had a range of ten miles.

The battleships serenely sailed onward as if nothing had happened, and passed by the burning, shattered hulk of the ironclad. Marc glanced at it gloomily. That could be him in a few days.

But the battleship steamed on regardless, to support the amphibious strike on Detroit.

* * *

Stat change:

A) the religious figures were wrong, and
B) they are starting a major conscription period.

Democratic Republic of Michigamme
Age: Late Industrial
Army: Medium
Navy: Small
Government: Representative Democracy
Religion: 49% Native, 40% Catholic, 10% Protestant
Economy: Largely Manufacturing

 

[Drake Rlugia]

Nantes, France, Naval Base:

The few transports the French navy had were being filled with fresh trained conscripts, equiped with older rifles and out of date equipment. Although the elite nobles would've been better to send over-seas, Louis XVIII was not so stupid as to leave conscripts in control of defending his dear nation.

There were about four transports, all bulky and ran by steam. They were atleast from the 1870s, yet despite being outdated, they would be able to carry soldiers to they key point. Military build-up was a must for the French, if they wanted to stand up to the power which was America.

The transports being loaded at Nantes were heading for Franco-Quebecia, to better fortify the region against to-be American agression. In this mess of loading, one young man hurried unto a transport, as ordered by his superiors.

This man was named Ekran Gyan, a French-Indian who had immigrated with his family from Franco-India in 1860 to France. He joined the military voluntarily, but since he was not noble, he too recieved less than par equipment.

After a few hours, the transports were en-route towards Franco-Quebecia, protected by a few ironclads to ware off any attacks that might befall them.

-----

Madras, India

The mainland of France was not alone in it's preparations to aid Mexico and it's American territory of Franco-Quebecia. Franco-India, and French Indo-China were both working to amass a colonial force to forify their areas, and ward off any attacks that could come.

OCC: Das suggested we all write a time-line, so I did. This is France's time line, it diverges at 1589, and it basically lists important dates. If anyone is interested in reading it, I'm attaching it.

 

[510th Nija]

Grand Duchy Of Alaska
Age: Late Industrial
Army: Large
Navy: Large
Government: Grand Duke rules over the Grnad Duchy, has a parliment.
Religion: Christian
Economy: agarian/industrial

Description: I can't think of anything, would it be alright if I edited this later?

 

[Jason The King]

Detroit, Michigan, Empire of America

“Heads up!” someone yelled, just in time for Nicholas Jenkins, a veteran commander of the American Imperial Army, to dodge the bricks of a crumbling tower as another shell chipped away more American pride. The commander, a little shaken, continued to lead his men. “Come on, yah lazy rats, follow me!” he yelled, as his squadron of ten men began to cautiously make their way to him, taking cover behind fallen rubble and broken carriages.

“Sir, the Michigammens will not let up. Fifth and Sixth regiment have already pulled out of the city,” a young soldier said, now walking with the aged commander. Looking in disgust at the spoiled boy, the commander replied with a degrading comment and an order to remain behind in the column. Another shell struck an adjacent building. The streets were full of broken concrete and destroyed bricks.

Jus then a hail of fire broke his concentration, and he dove for the nearest cover, inside a crater in the middle of the street. The Michigammens wanted Detroit badly, he had never seen so many in one day. He looked behind to see the rest of his men dive for cover also, and begin to return fire. Bringing his Springfield rifle up to his eye, he searched for where the fire was coming from. An abandoned warehouse was just up the street, and he could see sparks of light coming from inside the black windows. Risky, he thought, of the Michigammens to give away their position so early.

“Messenger!” he yelled, turning his head. A young man poked his head up from behind a pile of bricks. It was the same one he had just yelled at. The commander gave him a quick wave, summoning him over to him.

“I need a barrage at these coordinates,” Jenkins said, writing down the approximate coordinates of the warehouse. Nodding his head, the boy took the paper and began running down the street. At the same time, another messenger arrived in the commander’s crater.

“Sir, I have news from the first and fourth companies. It seems like they have pushed the Michigammens out of the eastern districts of the city, and the eighth regiment is having luck just west of you. It seems that warehouse is all that is left of opposition.”

“What about the enemy artillery?”

“They have been withdrawn, it seems. It seems like the Michigammens are ordering a retreat from the city.” The man replied.

“Great, give this message to colonel Ras” – but he was interrupted by the screeching of American shells flying through the air. The warehouse exploded in fire and dust, and soon collapsed upon itself, bringing the yelling and cheer of the rest of his squadron. “Tell Colonel Rassin that the warehouse has been destroyed”

“Yes sir.”

Houston, Texas, American-Occupied Mexico

Sam had probably taken apart and re-assembled his Springfield twenty or so times in the past hour. He was incredibly bored, he had been stuck in this trench for a week now and had not seen battle since his company had crushed the Mexicans at the Battle of Houston. Rumor had it that the company only lost four men that day, but Sam knew better then to believe such exaggerations. Just then, the horn sounded, and he looked over the side of the trench. In the distance it looked like a cloud of dust had formed, possibly a storm, but as his eyes focused he noticed the figures in front. It was a cavalry charge. He quickly loaded and readied his rifle, and took aim.

“Hold it….hold it…” a Sergeant Cammens said, “Wait for it…FIRE!” The trench soon sounded like popcorn, the soldiers letting loose everything they had. When the smoke cleared, the Mexicans were still there, charging, most on foot now.

“Charrggeee!” The whole line went over the trenches and started towards the Mexicans. Surprised by this, but not phased, the Mexicans let loose a round of fire, and Sam was hit in the leg. He soon found himself on his chest, his face deep in the mud, as his own men rushed over him to the battle.

He watched from his position in the mud, he watched as his friends died and fell to the ground like him, he watched as his company was slaughtered at the hands of the Mexicans. As he drifted away, he slowly remembered being taught about the Elite Mexican regiments, who, while limited, were a match for Western troops. Everything was black.

 

[Jason The King]

panda, are you going to write about the american diplomat who visits your embassy, so I can know if you are joining my side or not?

 

[Insane_Panda]

Yes I shall. Getting started now.

 

[Insane_Panda]

Meanwhile, back in Washington, President Lincoln eagerly awaited the response to the messenger he sent to the Queen in London. He needed to know if the Queen would support a war against the Michigamme and regain her popular Hudson colony. As of now, there had been no response.

Note - Victoria has died already.

 

[Dachs]

Kingdom of Bavaria
Late Industrial Age
Army: Medium (fairly well-trained in European methods and professional)
Navy: Small (based in northern Germany, does not have many bases, restricting number of ships. Not well-trained.)
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy (based on the English system. The former Elector of Bavaria morphed into a King.)
Religion: 96% Protestant, 4% Catholic
Economy: The Germans are mainly industrial-based, with agrarian stretches throughout the central and northern regions. Most industry is based in the Ruhr.

Description: The Bavarians dominated inter-German politics from the start of most of the city-states. Germanic tribes coalesced into cities and nations in the five hundred years between the founding of Munich in 922 and the defeat of the Prussic tribes by Khan Timur in 1434. Catholicism lost much of its power after the ascension of the charismatic Martin Luther to the forefront of the Teutonic political stage in the early 1500s, and Luther's new "Protestant" brand of Christianity gained popularity with people that disliked the rigid Catholic system.

A Protestant Bavaria launched many religious crusadess on the surrounding Catholic cities in the late 1500s and early 1600s, until the capital at Nuremberg dominated territory from Bremen to Vienna, and from Strasbourg to Danzig. This was the highest point of Bavarian power for a while. The Religious Wars that the French Bourbon monarchy launched in the 18th century against the remnants of Austria turned into a guerilla war, and the Austrians retook their capital and drove all the way to Munich before France ended the war. Bavaria was reduced to a tiny state centered around Nuremberg, Regensburg, and Wurzburg.

The Germans had their chance to avenge the losses of the 1700s when Austria's new Empire lost big to the Arabs in the 1850s. The Bavarians gobbled up more land until they had the Ruhr, Baden-Wurttemburg, Bohemia, and central Germany under control before the Arabs signed a peace treaty. The Austrians were too weak to resist the all-out Bavarian drive in the Bavaro-Austrian War in 1871 that destroyed the power of Austria once and for all, climaxing in the Battle of St-Polten (9 July 1875), where Helmut Brunner's elite cavalry smashed the Austrian lines and defeated the Kaiser, Franz Josef III, in his last grab for power. Bavaria downgraded their military and concentrated on developing their nation, and now enters the 20th century regenerated from the earlier conflicts.

(Territory: OTL all of Germany minus Bundeslander of Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland, plus all of current Austria and Czech Rep.)

 

[Jason The King]

Panda! Comeon

 

[irish_lad]

panda, are you going to write about the american diplomat who visits your embassy, so I can know if you are joining my side or not?

Don't forget, I sent an Ambassador to your embassy in British Honduras.

 

[Insane_Panda]

William stood at his royal desk, surrounded by members of the war department. They were all discussing how to next expand the empire, constantly shuffling and re-shuffling flags over a map pinned on the table. Things were heating up in India, as they were in America. It seemed as if Britain would stand alone in her relative nuetrality, that is, until the Americans sent their ambassador.

The english general staff greeted the ambassador, but all left shortly thereafter, leaving William to negociate on his own terms...

-----

Secret Communique to the President Lincoln of America

Upon discussion with your ambassador, Great Britain announces that it shall aid your nation in the most noble struggle against the powers of France, Michigamme, and the Holy Empire of Mexico. We send this as a prelude to the arrival of our fleets, which shall be dispatched after the proper preparations for war are made.

- His Majesty King William V of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Ireland

 

[das]

OOC: World War One!

I counted 13 nations thus far. Or are there more?

Btw, the seven-day year is quite inconvenient. Maybe we should just divide it into bits, i.e. what months does which day include? Or maybe switch to six-day year with another day for a "break" and flashback stories? (the first version seems better)

IP, update the timeline! There were many war declarations, the Japanese apparently conquered someone and a Cesar got killed! Speaking of that assassination...

IC:

It was raining, raining on the Golden Square (golden? it was simple gray bricks with a gold monument in the middle!) in night-time Kiev. Bulatov moved quickly as he had no umbrella, and was relieved to quickly open the door into the apartment house. He walked up the stairs, where an orderguard, in the traditional fur hat, was standing watch near a rather broken door.

The orderguard saluted and let Bulatov in. The young man was nervous, but took off his overcoat and his boots despite nearly walking into the first, and marginally largest, of the two rooms in them.

It was a quite ordinary two-room apartment, so there was not much to look at. He entered the first room, where on the worn and torn carpet there was a corpse of a sun-tanned man, still dressed, with no bullet removed, there was a lot of blood around him though the carpet absorbed much as well.

Bulatov was used to such sights, but it looked out of place in a Kiev apartment. That man died yesterday, and Bulatov could barely feel any sympathy for him. Even if the guess of the expertise was wrong, there was something repulsing about this man... corpse.

Out of the second room, walked out inspector Balychan. He smirked, noticing the younger inspector. The two inspectors, two Busarka agents, shook hands and the older of them said hello, and looked at the corpse, as did the younger one.

---

"...yes." - Bulatov finally said - "This is the one."

"Good. But that only confirms what we knew. Had we not known all that, he would still have been alive."

Bulatov did not comment.

"Well?" - asked Balychan, and approached the corpse. Bulatov knew the look on his face, stood up and stepped back. Balychan's thin and long fingers quickly picked the various papers, and hid them in the folder he was carrying beneath his suit.

Bulatov nodded as Balychan stood up.

"Let's go."

"Yes," - Balychan smiled, it was a smile of death - "there is no work left for us here. Only for the mullahs and maybe the surgeons."

"Mullahs?"

"Muslim priests, or somesuch. Hardly matters."

---

Bulatov waited. He was patient, patient enough to wait for about an hour until Balychan returned into his own office, for the first time since they came back.

"Well?" - asked Bulatov.

"The impatience of youth..." - laughed Balychan - "Yes, we found out a lot."

"So?"

"Mohummad Basar, 28 years apparently, not much more or less. Muslim." - Balychan smiled, prepared for the coup d'grace - "Arab. Meccan, it would seem."

"Ara..." - Bulatov was shocked indeed - "Does he LOOK like an Arab? An ordinary drunken Volgan!"

"Volgans are Muslims, pious ones at that, and don't drink." - Balychan retorted - "Besides, he IS an Arab."

"He looks like..."

"...a Volgan. Which was why he was given the task of infiltrating the Cesarate, settling in Kiev and killing the Cesar."

"This is..."

"...a cheap masquarade, you think, but it is not."

"Are you trying to say that Meccans just sent a spy to kill Cesar?" - Bulatov was shocked. It was a Volgan. A VOLGAN! Definitely a Volgan.

"Yes." - Balychan's smile was NOT charming.

"That's... nobody does that. The Meccans are civilized, and this is not the Middle Ages."

"Civilized, in their way. But are the Middle Ages over for them? And anyway, they did it. Do you know why?"

"They did not..."

"They did it," - Balychan said, sure of himself and his (for surely no other man was to support such rubbish!) conclusions - "because Kabalyk, blessed be his soul, was a great Cesar. He was a reformer, he was to strenghthen the Cesarate, make it strong enough to once more take Cesar-Gorod. The Meccans..."

"...the Meccans would never..."

"Yes they would." - Balychan said - "And did. A great blow was dealed to our nation, but it shall not go unpunished."

He stood up, taking the piece of paper on which he managed in such short time to write a complete report. And walked out, turning back only once to say.

"It is not polite to interrupt, Bulatov."

Bulatov followed him out of the door. He took a leave for a day, he needed to gather his thoughts. In a way, he participated in possibly starting a war. A war? No, no, ofcourse not, the Cesar would never allow that!..

But as he walked out of the old building and walked home (the sun was already rising), it, the realization, struck him. Struck him like the thunder of cannons.

---

As he walked towards the library (11:04, the tower watch proudly declared), the orderguard near the library stopped him, recognizing an old frined.

"Bulatov!" - he exclaimed, in his loud voice filled with excitement - "Do you know what happened? They caught the one who killed the Cesar!"

"Yes, I know. It was an Arab." - replied Bulatov absently and walked pass the rather confused orderguard.

---

He opened the book on the page 118. Bulatov was once very interested in political history, but not as much now, yet he remembered these words in Tichon's "Rise and Fall of Nations".

There it was!

"War is the greatest society-changer, the most grandiose reformer. In times of war, it is much easier to bring the needed changes into the society in the time of war then in the time of peace. In fact, those changes are inevitable, but they might either come by reform from above or by revolution from below."

And another one!

"Thus, a war is the best possible cure for many societal diseases of a nation. Through war, great empires are made and old ones are revived or lost."

 

[das]

"It only awaits your signature, oh Great Cesar." - said Samuel Block (the third Jewish Foreign Advisor in Cesarate's history).

I looked at Andrey. He, the commander-in-chief of the Cesarial Army, nodded.

"The Rubicon is crossed." - I said and signed it.

---

"...the Arabs once were civilized and honorable people, yet now, apparently, they changed. Barbarically, backstabbingly, they sent an assassin who ended the life of a great man... ...such crimes are to be punished, and there is only one suitable punishment... ...We thus declare war between the "Holy" Imperial Kingdom of Mecca and the Holy Russian Cesarate."
- Excerpts from the declaration of war on the Holy Imperial Kingdom of Mecca by the Holy Russian Cesarate, July 3rd.

---

"The cowardly assassination of the previous Cesar, the head of the Timurid Christian Church, was the final offense of the heathen Magometans. Under their reign of terror, Armenians, Georgians, Greeks, Bulgars, Serbs, Assyrians, Lebanese suffered. Christians of all rites and peoples! Unite, and assist us in this sacred war against treacherous opressive heathens! Christians under the iron heel of Islam - you have nothing to lose but your chains! Rise up! No longer shall the satrapical Magometan tyranny extending from Mecca stand there and defy the Christian peoples!"
- From the Crusade Declaration in Kiev, July 3rd.

---

Artillery pounded away for over six hours, and it seemed more like months at that. As smoke and dust settled, the Russian soldiers charged, firing as they went, at the fortress of Varna... which was no longer very intact. The old fortress was quite destroyed.

The Arabic forces gave fierce resistance, but they had too much land to defend. The Russian triumph was near-assured from the start.

The flag of Cross and Dragon was raised over the city.

---

It was hardly quiet in Kars, where the Arabic forces were resting after fighting back the first Russian attacks. The Russians fought like devils, but Arabs fought like the Shaitan himself that day, fighting back a huge force.

Suddenly, a large explosion was heard further inside the fortress. None of the men sent to investigate came back. The last thing Ismail Bahidi saw was a black robe... and a golden cross. The Order of St. Timur stormed the fortress from inside and underneath, using the ancient Byzantine catacombs. The fortress fell before anything could be done.

---

As the week ended, I got the general picture of the war quite well, or so it seemed. My fears were for nothing, as were many of my hopes. Very few declared for our cause from outside the Cesarate and the Imperial Kingdom. In the latter, only the Bulgars and the Armenians rose up, the others were content with life under the Arabs and left our calls unheeded. Still, it was Bulgaria and Armenia where the initial battles went on.

And so far, so good in the actual fighting. The Balkan Corps (4 divisions) took Varna and Sofia, and was threatening the great fortress of Pleven. The Armenia Corps (5 divisions), along with the... reinforcements overcame initial difficulties with the assistance of Petroyan's Armenian militia and now advanced as far as Erzurum. The Persia corps (4 divisions) ran into many difficulties, but eventually took Teheran. The sea... well, we never did expect that the Arabs would be drawn out. The loss of so many good ships was unfortunate, especially as it was largely an accident, but it was not the sea that was decisive.

---

OOC: How do you like it?

Fleet reduced to tiny.

 

[Insane_Panda]

Great stuff das, story soon. Ill update stuff later.

 

[Communisto]

sorry, have to quit (for now)......................... I will return!!!!

 

[Dachs]

What? Still didn't update Denmark's stats? I spent eco on some of that stuff!

 

[Insane_Panda]

What? Wrong NES? I spent eco on some of that stuff!

 

[Dachs]

Oops. Sorry. Too many tabs in Firefox open at the same time, spread too thin, like Communisto. Story soon, I need to be at war with someone for a good one though!

....That was not an invitation for a declaration of war!